“Premier League in CHAOS! VAR Bombshell as Newcastle Penalty Decisions FLIPPED in Stunning Reversal!”
Premier League Clarifies Why Newcastle Were Twice Denied Penalties Against Brighton
Anthony Gordon was brought down by Tariq Lamptey moments after being introduced by Eddie Howe, eager to make an impact after not starting since Newcastle’s 2-1 FA Cup loss to Brighton in March.
His immediate burst of pace caused chaos for the Brighton defense, and it initially appeared that Newcastle had won a penalty.
However, after a lengthy VAR review, referee Craig Pawson was advised to check the pitch-side monitor.
As is often the case, the original decision was overturned, and a free-kick was awarded instead. Newcastle were denied a chance to equalize just seconds after Gordon came on.
The Premier League’s official match centre later clarified the decision, posting: “VAR checked the referee’s call of penalty for the challenge by Lamptey on Gordon and recommended that play restart with a Newcastle free-kick as the contact was outside the penalty area.”
Soon after, Pawson awarded another penalty when Joe Willock appeared to be fouled by Jan Paul van Hecke while surging into the box.
But another extended VAR review led to the referee overturning the decision and booking Willock for simulation.
The Premier League later explained: “VAR checked the referee’s call of penalty for the challenge by van Hecke on Willock and recommended an on-field review, with this deemed to be minimal contact and not sufficient for a penalty.
Upon review, the referee awarded an indirect free-kick to Brighton and issued a yellow card to Willock for simulation.”
Both incidents left Newcastle frustrated, with VAR playing a decisive role in denying them two potential penalties.
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